Systemic lupus erythematosus is an often devastating autoimmune disease which affects 1 in 2,000 women in the United States. Recently, several research laboratories have reported that a protein, named CD40-ligand (CD154), is overexpressed by a subset of white blood cells, called lymphocytes, in patients with lupus. Expression of CD154 appears critical to the generation of antibodies that cause disease in lupus. Blocking CD154 interactions in the immune system has been shown to decrease disease activity in animal models of lupus. We propose to study the regulation of CD154 in patients with lupus in hopes of inhibiting its abnormal and deleterious expression.

Further study details as provided by National Center for Research Resources (NCRR):

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

13 Years and older

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Yes

Criteria

Inclusion:

A diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00008749